Treading on Thin Ice
by RWBYWriter0711
Summary: Ruby is in love. Weiss is also in love, but not with her. Is the inner turmoil that Ruby faces on a daily basis worth the Heiress's cold shoulder? For her, it is. Love takes time. Or maybe that's the voice of the impossible hope talking. AU where Ruby tries to ask Weiss to the dance instead of Jaune.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: So this is my new story. Won't say much: it'll just be short, sweet, and to the point. The first thing I want to say is HOLY CRAP TWENTY ONE PILOTS EMOTIONAL ROADSHOW IS THE BEST THING EVER. Secondly, Thank you all for reading my crap. It means a lot that something I do for fun can bring so many people together to share a common enjoyment. This has truly been a change to my life, and I'm glad that I started writing in the first place. Anyways, without further adieu, I present to you the first chapter of Treading on Thin Ice!**

Today is like any other day. There's schoolwork from Professor Port and Oobleck's classes that I have to do, friendly banter between my sister and I, and of course my overwhelmingly large crush on my partner, Weiss. Normally I can just ignore the way I feel whenever she is in the room, but the school dance is coming up and I'm wanting to ask her to it. It's been a little hard lately dealing with my feelings for my white-haired partner. She's been spending a lot more time with Neptune lately, and I'm jealous. Like, extremely so. I don't know what it is about him that makes her want to be around him so much, but whatever it is, I wish I had it instead. I just hope she can see what I have and realize that I have things to give too.

Weiss yells at me, breaking me out of my thoughts. "Dolt! I was talking to you!" She's standing below my precariously hung bunk bed, looking up with those bright blue eyes that I could lose myself in. She's wearing her normal combat skirt and bolero jacket, and she's looking up at me impatiently. She looks so beautiful like she always does. Hopefully, she'll think about me in the same way that I think about her. Maybe her feelings for Neptune aren't super genuine. Or maybe they're not shared, and she'll need someone to help comfort her. I can be that person. I know there might be a chance.

"Sorry, Weiss. I must have spaced out. What did you say?" This visibly irritates her, and I regret it immediately.

"I said that I will be going out for a while. I have something that I need to do." Weiss turns from me and starts rummaging through her bag for something, finding it quickly. It's her Scroll. She puts it inside the pocket on the inside of her jacket.

"Can I come too? What are you gonna do?" I ask.

"I don't think so, Ruby. Neptune actually asked me to meet him in the courtyard. He said there was something he needs to talk about with me. I don't know what it is, but it seems important." Of course it has to do with him.

"Oh…" I can't help but sound a little dejected and feeling disappointed when hearing this. See, the thing about my feelings for Weiss is that she doesn't know about them. But I plan on changing that when I ask her to the dance today.

"Take care of the room, okay? Blake and Yang are studying in the library. Honestly, I don't know how Blake manages to get her to study." Weiss turns around and leaves, mumbling softly to herself. She closes the door and walks down the hallway towards the courtyard. I immediately get up and head over to Team JNPR's room. The thought of her going to Neptune sends me into a panic. I need some advice. I don't know how I'm going to ask her out, but I know it needs to happen. I need advice fast before Neptune asks her out before me. Or even worse, Weiss asks Neptune. I knock on the door and wait for someone to answer. I want to go talk to Jaune because I think he's been dealing with a similar issue, and I want to see how he's dealing with it.

Nora's voice calls from beyond the door. "We're coming! Just give us a second!" A few seconds later, Pyrrha opens the door and sees me standing in the doorway.

"Hello again!" Pyrrha says smiling. Then she notices that my face is sadder than normal. "Is something the matter?"

"I have a question to ask Jaune. It's really important. Can I come in?" Pyrrha says nothing, but motions me in with her hand. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Ruby. Jaune is in Vale getting groceries right now, but I'm sure that you could ask me if you need to talk to someone. Now, what is this question of yours?" I look around the room, thinking of where to start. Nora looks at me curiously, and I can't help feeling embarrassed by my question. I just can't keep it to myself anymore, and I need to move forward if I'll ever be able to deal with my feelings.

"I… I really like this person, but I know that they like someone else. I want to ask them to the dance today, but I don't know if I can."

"Then do it. No ridiculous schemes, no pick up lines. Just be honest," Pyrrha says. She's looking at me intently.

"But what if I-?" I'm cut off by Pyrrha talking again.

"You can't get it wrong if it's the truth." She smiles. I smile back at her.

"You're right. Thanks, Pyrrha. I owe you!" I run into the room, grab the flower of my namesake from a nearby vase on the shelf next to my bed because I know roses are Weiss's favorite. I put the vase there after I got it as a present during our white elephant gift exchange between RWBY and JNPR. Yang filled it with flowers. Roses, tulips, and other flowers that I don't know what they're called fill the vase. _I'm sorry, Yang, but I need to borrow this rose. It's very important._ I use my semblance to dash out of the dorm room and down to the courtyard. I'm visibly excited, and I can't wait to ask Weiss to go to the dance with me. Before Neptune gets there. I have to beat him to her. Flowers have bloomed, birds are chirping, and people are outside messing around. It's definitely spring time, and it becomes more noticeable to me as a cold wind blows by, stopping me in my tracks. After a second of warming up, I walk the rest of the way to the courtyard. I extend my hand with the rose, practicing what I want to say.

"Hey, Weiss. I was wondering if you'd like to dance with me at the… at the dance?" I shake my head and try again.

"Hi again, Weiss. Y'know, there's that dance soon, and I was thinking maybe you and I could go… together?" _I like that one. That's the one I'm going to use._ I start walking with more confidence, smiling to myself for finally getting the courage to ask Weiss out. My heart is beating madly, and my palms are starting to get sweaty the more I think about it, but I know it'll be worth it. I turn a corner to see Weiss sitting at the edge of the fountain, surrounded by the setting sun on the horizon, so I start to pick up my pace. I walk faster and faster, holding the rose in one hand and my chest with the other, but I stop dead in my tracks when Neptune approaches her. I'm close enough so that I can hear their conversation.

"Hey, Neptune! How are you on this fine day?" Weiss stands up and walks to meet him. She seems peppier around him than she does around me. All she is when I'm around is annoyed and irritated. I can't help but feel a little saddened at this realization, but nonetheless, I will ask Weiss to the dance as soon as she is done talking with Neptune.

"I'm aight. Listen, I have a question for you." He smiles at her, then looks behind him. _I hope this isn't what I think it is._

"Is something wrong, Neptune?" Weiss asks with a hint of concern in her voice. _I really wish she'd show those kinds of emotions towards me. The more and more I think about this, I don't know if I should… But I'm going to because I need to let her know how I feel!_

"Nothing's wrong, I'm just a little nervous. That's all." He laughs nervously and puts his hand on the back of his head.

"Nervous about what?" Weiss seems genuinely not sure of what's coming next, but even I can see what he's doing. _He's asking her to the dance…_

"Well, I'm nervous because of this." He pulls a flower from behind his back; a flower exactly like mine. He extends his arm towards Weiss and asks the question that makes my heart drop and tears come to my eyes. "Weiss, will you go to the dance with me?" Weiss reacts in the worst way possible for me. She raises her hand to her mouth in surprise, slowly nods, and then grabs Neptune in a hug.

"Yes, Neptune. I will go to the dance with you. And how did you know that roses are my favorite?" The rose in my hand falls to the ground, accompanied shortly by some tears just a few seconds later. _Is this what hurt is? I hate it already._ I turn around, giving one last look over my shoulder at Weiss and Neptune enveloped in a warm embrace, and my heart breaks even more. I start walking back towards the team dorm slowly, leaving behind a path of tears out of how hard I'm crying. It's hard to breathe properly, and I involuntarily wrap myself in my arms for comfort. All I want to do is to curl up in bed and cry myself to sleep, but I need to get these feelings out. I pass people: blank faces with no meaning to me on the way back to the dorm. After a while of musing to myself over the justifications of me crying like this and walking aimlessly, I somehow find myself back at the dorm, finding it empty just like I left it. I make my way over to the desk by the window, see that the sun has set, open the second drawer, pull out my journal, and open it to a blank page. I channel my emotions through my pen into my journal, laboriously wiping away tears as they fall onto the paper.

 _I hurt all over, and I don't know how to fix it. I don't ache from sore muscles or sleeping wrong. Today is the day my heart died. I'm in love with Weiss Schnee, but she's in love with someone else: Neptune. I finally got the courage to ask her out today, but Neptune had already asked her to the dance. I don't know what to do. I've never hurt like this before, and I'm afraid to tell anyone in fear of ridicule. Especially Weiss. I'm just confused. I need sleep. Sleep and water. All this crying is making me dehydrated. I suppose that's it for now. Bye._

I put down the pen, close my journal, and get up from the chair. I reopen the second drawer and place the journal carefully in the center of the empty drawer, making sure that it's not too far from the left or right, but right in the center. Even when upset beyond being able to function normally, my OCD still makes its appearance. I slowly shut the door so that I don't mess up the placement of my journal. I grab a glass and head to the sink. I fill up my glass to about three-fourths full and take a sip. The cool water feels refreshing going down my throat, and I can feel some of its effects on rehydrating me immediately. Once I'm done with that drink, I walk back to the dangerously constructed bunk bed, and I climb up to my bed. I can feel the sadness hit me again, and I drift off to sleep in a fit of tears. One that no one will know about. But that's just for the best. Tomorrow I'm going to have to figure out how to face her, but there's nothing I can bring myself to do now besides cry.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I know I kinda screwed Ozpin up for some people in ASoRVC, but I will assure you that in this story, Ozpin will have a MUCH less antagonistic role. He will actually be very helpful. I won't tell you how, but I'll tell you that he'll help. Anyways, here's chapter 2! Sorry it took so long :/ School SUUUUUCKS

I wake up the next morning, and I immediately feel the overwhelming sadness hit me like one of Yang's punches: hard and fast. My eyes tear up, and it becomes very hard to see. I sit up in my bed, wipe some of the tears away, and look around. Everyone else is sleeping. This surprises me since normally Blake is up before me. I'm actually glad that no one is up yet, since they won't be able to see my tears. I fall from my bed silently, being careful not to wake the sleeping members of my team. From where I landed, I can see Blake and Yang's beds perfectly, but not mine or Weiss's. I turn around to look at Weiss who is asleep like all of the others. Her face is contorted in pain and sadness, but she still looks so beautiful. She's having a nightmare. I walk up to her bed and sit down next to it for a while. I take her hand in concern for how she appears while also taking in the features of her face. It will be the last time I'm able to do this, so I might as well make the most of it. I have no idea how I'm going to face her later today. I don't know how I'm going to keep from crying. Who would follow a leader who is constantly crying? I know I wouldn't. That's why I need to steel myself for them. I need to be strong.

I'm torn from my musings as I notice Weiss stirring in her bed. She stops moving after just a little bit, her face still showing pain from the nightmare she's having. On an impulse, I lean forward and kiss her forehead.

"It's going to be okay…" I whisper more to myself than to her. I lean back to the position I was in before I kissed her forehead and notice that her face is visibly calmer now. I smile, optimistically thinking that I was somehow a cause of that smile even though I know I probably wasn't. I get up from beside Weiss's bed, get a new change of clothes, and walk towards the bathroom, turning around one last time and looking at her before entering. I turn the handles of the shower, remembering the exact degree that I turn the knobs so that the temperature can be perfect. After checking the water to make sure I was right, I quickly undress and step into the shower. The water calms me down almost immediately, but I can still feel the pangs of hurt and remorse deep inside. Things are going to be hard. I'm not going to be able to just play it off like nothing is wrong. I can't just pretend. I'm going to have to confront her about it… But when? I can't just go out and say that I'm in love with her in front of everyone else. What would they think? How would it look? I decide to leave that for another day. I finish the shower quickly and dry off, and I put on the spare set of clothes that I brought with me and walk out of the bathroom to a still quiet room.

"Well, it looks like I'll be getting ready today by myself. I'll let them sleep in a bit. Remnant knows they need it." I walk over to my things and grab what I need for the day's classes. It's only five o'clock in the morning, so I have some time to kill I once again steal a look at Weiss's sleeping form before walking out the door, letting some tears fall from my eyes once again. I hear some movement from inside the room and hurry along, shutting the door behind me.

I walk to the training rooms and then go straight to the lockers. I get to my locker, input my combination, and grab Crescent Rose. The training arena is empty and quiet; perfect for training and getting my mind off of Weiss. Of course I bring Weiss into my mind when I'm trying to get Weiss out. The arena is lined with training dummies on the outside of the main arena when there are no matches going on. Now is no different. I head back out to the main arena and struggle in positioning five dummies in a circle around where I will be training. Eventually, the dummies are in the position I need them to be: surrounding me on all sides. I perform some quick attacks, swinging Crescent Rose around me with grace. I hit all of them multiple times, each strike different from the ones before it. Minutes that seem like seconds pass me by, just attacking these poor, defenseless dummies. The quick strikes take my anger and frustration with them. Things have been tough lately. I have a lot of pent up anger and frustration. These poor dummies… Just because I'm angry at something else.

I slow down my body's momentum and stop swinging Crescent Rose. I look around at the dummies, taking in everything I missed when I lost myself to the feeling of battle. A certain pattern on one of the dummies catches my eye. It looks like a big "W" across the chest. Other symbols start appearing to me soon after. One letter on every dummy. One word that kills me inside: Weiss.

"Ugh! Even when I'm attacking things I can't even get my mind off of her!" I yell at no one, but everyone at the same time, like a prayer to whatever god there is that decided I needed to fall for the one person I could never have. I awaited for some response, hoping anyone would have heard me and come to help me.

"Now what's all this commotion about? Surely you're not making a mess of the school's facility." I turn around to see Professor Ozpin standing at the edge of the room, next to the door, and leaning on his cane, looking somewhat amused, but at the same time concerned.

"Of course not, Professor Ozpin. I just… I've been dealing with something recently. It's… it's complicated. And painful." I look anywhere but at Professor Ozpin's face. Although I wanted someone to come talk with me about this, I never thought anyone would, so I'm nervous about talking about it still. I'm still not sure what to do.

"Is it miss Schnee?" I say nothing, but I turn away from him, hiding the blush that gives it away. "Ah, I see. So it is. I can't tell you much, but I can tell you this: 'If it meant to be, it will be. Don't waste your time on something that will only be temporary. That being said, shoot for the stars. Just don't get kicked back down into the dirt.'"

"What does that mean, professor?" I ask, confused.

"It means don't give your entirety to something that isn't worth it in the end. You can have dreams, but don't let them kill you if they don't go how you planned." I let that sink in, taking in the meaning of each and every word. Questions cross my mind. Questions like is this worth it?, What if it's not meant to be?, and what's going to happen if I shoot for the stars and miss?

"... Thank you professor…" He seemed to contradict himself, but at the same time, it made perfect sense.

"I can tell you'll need some time to figure out how to move on from here. I'll leave you to it. Have a nice day." He turns from facing me and walks out the door. The sound of the door closing almost mutes the room. No sound can be heard. For how long? I don't know. All that I know is that the silence is deafening, and my thoughts are racing. One topic enters my head, but is immediately replaced with another. They share a common theme. A sort of pattern. "What if…?"

What if I give up and miss my chance?

What if I don't give up and end up hurting myself?

What if she never accepts me?

What if she does?

What do I have to gain?

What do I have to lose?

Nothing. I have nothing to lose that hasn't already been lost. I won't give up just yet. Not when I see at least a glimmer of hope. It will be hard. There's no doubt about that.

I won't give up.

I won't give up.

I won't give up.

Finally, my voice breaks the almost never-ending silence.

"I won't give up on you, Weiss."

Author's note: Well, that was pretty fun to write. Sorry it took so long. School started and immediately took off. Whoever said senior year of IB is easier than Junior year is full of crap. It's been a week and I've already had 3 quizzes, a test, and an essay due. Top that off with a metric butt-ton of homework, and you can see why writing has been taking a bit. So… yeah. As you can tell, I'll be busy this year. Updates will, I repeat, WILL happen. Just… not super often. I'm trying a hard as I can. Thank you all so much for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Hey there guys! It's been a while. Sorry for such a long hiatus, but school was really stressful up until now - Spring Break! So amidst my playing of League and 3d modeling characters for MY game, I decided to write, and I'm kinda pleased with this chapter. Although since I've been away, my style might have changed/gotten worse/whatever. This was the first time in a while I've had a good amount of time to do this, so… I guess all I can say now is enjoy!**

A short time after Ozpin left me alone to my thoughts, I had to leave for my first class: Grimm Biology. I get into the class shortly, sit down at my desk, open a journal, and start writing.

 _Luckily for me, I do not have this class with Weiss, so I will be able to focus on my work. Unfortunately, I DO have this class with Yang. The thing about Yang is that she can tell something is wrong with me, no matter how much I try to hide my feelings from her. She's like a hawk when it comes to them._

"Heya, Sis! How are ya?" Yang plops down into the seat next to me with great enthusiasm. I close my journal quickly and put it away so that she doesn't see it.

"Hi, Yang. I'm good, thanks for asking. How are you?" I ask, feigning enthusiasm as best I can. My best isn't good enough, however, because Yang's face changes from her normal peppy smile to one of knowing.

"Ruby, we both know you're not doing well right now. I read your journal after you left this morning." Before I can say anything, Professor Port comes in and tells us to take our seats. Yang moves to her assigned class seat relatively quickly, and class begins soon after that. The lesson: Structure of Grimm Nervous system. My attention to the lesson: None. I'm too busy worrying about the fact that Yang read from my journal.

 _She knows how I feel right now. She knows how I feel about Weiss. What am I going to do now?_

"Miss Rose?" Professor Port interrupts my thoughts.

"Yes, Professor Port?"

"See me after class." My heart races from being called out like this in class, and my cheeks flush.

"Y-yes sir..."

"Now, back to the lesson..." Professor Port goes back to his rambling about his "heroics" as an awkward adolescent. Yang just stared at me for the rest of class. After class ends, Yang walks up to me, and whispers in my ear.

"I'll wait for you. Then we have to talk." A huge lump forms in my throat. I swallow it, nod, and then head up to the professor. I turn around one last time to look at Yang. She's outside the room, leaning against the doorpost. I take a deep breath.

"Miss Rose, I'm in somewhat of a hurry, so if you wouldn't mind…" Professor Port speaks up from the front of the class.

"Sorry, Professor… What did you wanna talk to me about?" I ask nervously.

"Professor Ozpin came to me early this morning regarding news of you and miss Schnee. He said that you may be distracted in class, but I never thought that it would be this bad." He explains.

"Well, actually professor, that's not what was dis-" Professor Port interrupts me.

"You're not in trouble, miss Rose, so there is no need to be defensive. I was going to offer some advice: give you possible options for your next move." I look at him with inquiring eyes. He continues, "I have an opening for a trip to go and observe Grimm activities outside of Vale. I would like you to join us on this trip. It will help you get your mind off of Miss Schnee."

I stand there, shocked. "But what about my other-"

"You do not need to worry about your other classes. You and everyone else on this trip will be excused from all assignments during the trip." Professor Port nods. He looks at the clock on the wall of his classroom and hurriedly starts packing up his things. "Oh, blast it! I'm almost late. Please give this some consideration, Miss Rose. This trip will be on the fifth of next month, so I'd like to know a week in advance if possible. Enjoy your day." And with that, Professor Port is gone. I turn around to see that Yang is still leaning up against the door post. I hang my head and walk over to her, ready for the inevitable questioning. We start walking back to our team dorm.

"So you're really in love with Weiss?" Yang starts sooner than I expected with her questions. I nod in response, not wanting to say anything.

"Since when?"

"About three months now…" I look away from her, trying to hide my face from her.

"Now this may be a weird question, but how did you keep your feelings to yourself for that long? I couldn't do it." She looks away and whispers to herself, "I'm having trouble with just a few days…"

I pretended not to hear what she whispered and answer her question. "The thing that's kept it to me? Fear. Fear of being rejected. Fear of things changing in ways I don't want them to. But I'm sure some people have other ways… I think it just depends on the person." As I finish the sentence, I look at Yang again, and she looks somewhat sad, but whenever she sees me looking at her, a smile erupts on her face.

"Thanks for sharing that with me, sis. Now, I won't tell anybody about you and Weiss, but you have to answer one more question for me."

"And that is?" I look at her curiously.

"Why the Hell would you let Ozpin and Port know about this before your sister?" She's smiling, but I can tell there is a little bit of truth with her wanting to find out why.

"Well, you see…"

* * *

After explaining why they knew before her, and after earning some playful punches to my shoulder, we arrive back at the dorm. No one is there, which is surprising because normally Blake would be here. Her first class ends before ours, and her next class isn't until after lunch.

"So tell me what your plan is, sis," Yang says.

I look at her and sigh. "I don't know… I'm going to go on that trip that Professor Port asked me about. It'll help me take my mind off of things." I sit down on the bed and sigh again.

"That bad, huh?" Yang sits down next to me and hugs me from the side.

"You should know how bad it is. You read my journal as I left this morning. I'll go get it and show you where it tells you just how bad it is." I get up and go to the drawer where my journal is, and upon opening it, I start twitching at the sight of my journal pushed all the way to the left of the drawer. I close my eyes and try to breathe out my frustration. "Yang, did you do this?"

"Do what?" I point at how my journal is positioned in the drawer. She sees it and immediately backs away, hands raised a defensive way. "Now sis, we've known each other all our lives. Do you really think I would do that?"

"I guess you're right, but then that means…" I gasp, "Someone else read it!"

"Well, Weiss was asleep when I left, so that only leaves…

We both look at each other, realizing who read it.

"BLAKE!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: MAN, has it been a while. That's right! I'm NOT dead! Things have just been really bad lately in terms of availability and writers block. I really did want to work on this for a long time. It's just that whenever I looked at it, I was stuck. Until today, when I cranked out a good majority of this chapter. Thank you all so much for your patience with me, and I hope to be back to writing on a more regular basis soon.**

Just as Yang and I shout out Blake's name, she enters the room, her face buried in her scroll. She is oblivious to the glares that Yang and I are starting through her. After a few moments of absolute silence, which is something that doesn't happen in our dorm, Blake finally looks up from her Scroll.

"Hey guys, what's up?" She asks. Instead of a response, I just point at the dresser with my journal in it. Blake's smile immediately changes to a scared expression, and she bolts down the hallway, Scroll falling behind her almost cartoonishly.

"Stop, scoundrel! I will apprehend you!" Yang shouts after her as we give chase. Well, it wasn't much of a chase at all. I used my semblance and caught up with her, tackling her to the ground as Yang caught up, rose petals falling to the ground behind me. "Or she will…" Yang says, out of breath once she catches up.

"What seems to be the problem, officer?" Blake asks as I pin her arms to the floor so she can't escape.

"Why did you read my journal?" I ask, pushing more of my weight onto her.

"I saw Yang reading it and get really pumped up for some reason! I just wanted to see why she was so hyped about whatever she was hyped about! I swear!" She says, looking away from us. Her ears are folded back down to the side of her head.

"Can we trust her, sis?" I ask Yang.

"I don't know… but there's no way that we can disprove what she's saying. I say we let her slide this time." I roll my eyes and get off of Blake.

"Fine. You get a pass this time, Blake." I lean in close and grab her collar. "But don't read my journal, and NEVER leave it out of place again." I release her collar angrily, her head falling back to the ground. I start walking away towards Professor Port and leave them behind, not looking back. "And don't tell Weiss," I say over my shoulder.

* * *

I arrive at Professor Port's classroom after a few minutes of walking. I knock on the door, and from the other side, I hear a loud resounding, "Come in!". I step inside quietly and quickly. Professor Port is currently reading a large book entitled _How to Weave Elaborate Stories of Grandeur_ by Ed Yukate, blocking his field of vision.

"Professor Port? It's me, Ruby. I have an answer for your offer." I say, approaching his desk.

"Wonderful! And what might that be?" he asks.

"I'm going." I say somewhat nervously and quiet, not completely sure of the decision. His head rises above the edge of his book as my mind starts racing. _Is this right? Do I really want to do this? Do I really want to leave my friends and teammates for an extended period of time? Wait, how long was it again? I don't think he said!_

"What was that, Miss Rose? You'll have to speak up. My hearing isn't as good as it used to be, what with all the Grimm I've fought. Reminds me of the time when I fought a Nevermore and it screeched directly in my ear, making me deaf for almost a mo-"

"I said I'm going!" I somewhat shout, but this time more confidently. Professor Port sets his book down and stands. He walks around the table, putting his arm around my shoulder, and begins walking around the room.

"Oho! Splendid! Like I told you yesterday, this trip will be on the fifth of next month, so I'd recommend starting to pack. You have two weeks time until the trip." We stop at one of the many bookshelves in his classroom. He approaches it and sorts through a few pieces of paper before seeming to find the one he was looking for. He turns to me and extends his arm and the paper to me. Upon looking at the paper, I found it to be exactly what I expected it to be: a packing list.

"Thank you, professor. And… how long will this trip be?" I ask after giving the paper a skim over.

"This trip will last two weeks. Well, at least it should, hopefully. There can be no real understanding of how long a mission can last. Why, when I was a hunter in training, one of my missions was to hunt down a nest of Grimm. We were told that the mission was going to last three days, but we ended up spending about three weeks as the group ended up…" His story, like most others of his before, drowned out to my ears as he droned on; my thoughts taking the precedence of my attention.

 _This is it. I'm really doing this._

"Thank you for everything, professor!" I interrupt, heading towards the door with the paper in my hand.

"And then right as a beowolf was about to pounce- … Oh… okay, yes. You're very welcome, miss Rose. Have a good rest of your afternoon." I turn around and smile before thanking him and walking out of his classroom.

The walk back to the dorm room was rather uneventful, as there weren't many people outside or in the hallways, which, I'm not going to lie, was rather peaceful. That, however, changed whenever I entered the dorm room.

"Ruby! You're back! Just in time! Come here and help me with something.." Right as I enter, Weiss notices me and acknowledges my presence.

"Sure, Weiss. What do you need?" I ask, walking over to my desk and placing the packing list in the middle of the desk. Exactly in the middle.

"I need your help carrying something to the foyer that the dance is going to be in." Weiss says. After a bit of minor adjustments of the paper to make sure it's in the middle, I eventually look back at Weiss who is staring at me.

"Yeah, sure I can help."

"Thank you, Ruby. What is that paper? Anything for class that needs to be done?" She asks, motioning to a large box that's sitting on her desk. We both grab hold of the box and walk towards the large foyer in which the dance will be held.

"Well, yes and no. It's something Professor Port talked to me about, I think it was yesterday. Anyway, it's a packing list."

"Professor Port is taking you camping?" Weiss asks, an almost snort escaping from her when she does.

A slight chuckle escapes me. "No, it's not a camping trip. It's a mission that a select few students are going on. He asked me to go, and I have to pack for it."

"Well that's… nice that he asked you to be on the mission squad." She tries, but fails to hide the disdain in her voice. It's probably the fact that she wasn't asked to go as well that's gotten her a little miffed. A little time passes, and we make it to the designated dance area.

"Yeah, I'm excited, but nervous. I think it'll be a good experience for me." I say, trying to make the mood a bit more cheery.

"Sounds like it…" She says, trailing off. Eventually she speaks up again after we've gotten the large box to where she wants it. "Right here is good," she says, motioning to slightly ahead of us with her head. "So when is the mission, what is the mission, and how long is it going to be?"

"It's two weeks from today, the fifth of next month is when Professor Port said. It'll last for two weeks, too. But Professor Port said something about it maybe taking longer than that. And as for what it is, I'm… not quite sure."

"So you'll be leaving two weeks from now, and hopefully getting back four weeks from now? Wait, the dance is three weeks from this Wednesday. You're not going to be here?" She asks, a slight tone of worry in her voice.

"I guess not," I say, shrugging.

"But Yang and I have put a lot of time planning the dance. You can't not be here for it!"

"I can't back out now, Weiss. I already told Professor Port that I agreed to going." I tell her.

"Fine, then! Go off on your stupid mission and miss what we've done! After all, that's what's important!" She yells at me, stomping away in the process.

"Great, Ruby. Way to go. You pissed off the girl you're in love with." I say under my breath to myself. _Was this really the best decision for me to make? She's so angry. But… our responsibility is to protecting Vale, right? So the mission should be my top priority. And after all, this will help me get over her hopefully. Something to distract me… I guess only time will tell._ I think to myself, and I walk back towards the dorm, hoping not to face Weiss until she's calmed down.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So with the recent reduction of my writer's block to a mere nothingness, I was able to crank out this chapter. Bless. So this Wednesday is my birthday, and so I'm happy. I'm needing a Beta Reader now. So if anyone wants to be that for me, PM me, and I will get back to you. I'm willing to have multiple, so it won't be a first come first serve kind of thing. I will be awaiting things. Enjoy!**

The sight awaiting me upon getting back to the dorm was not what I was expecting. Not necessarily out of the ordinary, but certainly not what I was expecting. Yang and Blake were sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by a bunch of playing cards. Yang was just sitting there looking defeated and staring off into space. Blake was in the process of picking the cards up. Weiss was nowhere to be seen.

"Playing 52 card pickup again, sis?" I ask, walking into the room.

"I wish," Blake responded. "Weiss stormed in while we were playing go fish and scattered our cards everywhere. Then she grabbed some stuff and stormed out. She was pretty pissed." My heart sank in my chest. She's only trashed the place when she got extremely mad. "I don't know what happened to get her that mad, though."

I chuckle nervously.

"Th-that would be… me…" I say awkwardly, poking my index fingers together.

"And what did you do to make her that pissed?" Blake asks with a questioning eyebrow raised.

"I kinda… sorta… told her that… I wasn't going to be here for the dance that she and Yang are planning…" I trail off. Yang looks up from her stuper at me.

"Wait, you're not gonna be here?" she asks.

"No, I'm not." I say. _Why is my heart beating so fast by telling them this? Am I that nervous?_ "I'm going to be on a mission with Professor Port and a few other students in two weeks for another two weeks. I don't know what it's about, but I'm going."

"Well now I get it." Yang says, standing up and helping Blake with the cards.

"Well, could you explain it to me? Because I don't," I say.

"She was raised by an asshat that cared about nothing but his business," Yang starts. "I don't think Weiss got a whole lot of approval growing up. I think it was just apathy. Her dad didn't care about what she did. And now here she is, designing something huge for the school, and her closest friend isn't going to be there for it? I can see why she's upset. She's justified in her anger. Maybe not to the level that she was, but still justified."

"I never thought of that…" I say. Deafening silence permeates the dorm room as Blake and Yang continue to clean up their cards. After a minute or so, a voice pierces the silence.

"I don't think you should worry too much about it." Two sets of eyes fell upon the noirette as soon as she finished the sentence.

"Blake, what do you mean that she shouldn't worry about it?" Yang asks. Blake closes her eyes, breathes slowly, and then open her eyes again.

"Yang, this school is to teach us how to be huntresses. That means going out on missions and killing Grimm. I think that Ruby is completely capable of making decisions that fall under the mission, like she did today."

"I understand that, Blake. But-"

"Guys, please don't fight over this," I interrupt. "I've made my decision, and I've given my word to Professor Port." The silence returned, this time for much longer. A good ten minutes of awkward silence passed, save for the sounds of footsteps and object interaction.

"I'm…" I start, interrupting the silence. "I'm going to go look for Weiss. I'll… I'll see you guys later, okay?" Silence. _Blake, I can expect to be quiet. But Yang? For ten minutes? Jeez, I never thought I 'd say this, but Yang needs to talk more._ I walk out of the dorm, turning around one last time and looking into it before I left in search of Weiss. _Still no words…_

* * *

 _Whew, this campus is so big._ I think to myself, after jogging for a majority of the campus. Out of breath, I raise my hands behind my head and breathe deep breaths. _And I still can't find Weiss. Where in Dust's name is she?_ I turn my head around, looking every direction to see if she was anywhere near me. That's when I hear it. Laughter. Weiss's laughter. Heading towards the sound of her laughing, I get to the point where I can hear her talking.

"Thank you for that, Neptune. I really needed a laugh after what happened today." My heart sinks for the second time today. Maybe it should just stay down there so it doesn't have to keep sinking. _Neptune. Why does it have to be him? Out of all the people on this campus, she goes to him._

"Oh? And what happened today that makes you need a laugh?" I peek around the corner to see Neptune with his arm around Weiss' shoulders. That sight in and of itself is like daggers to my sunken heart. My eyes water, and I stifle a sob as I turn back around the corner. My foot catches and makes a sound. _I hope they don't notice_.

"Did you hear that?" Weiss' voice echoes through the area. _They noticed_.

"Yeah, but that's not important. Why did you need a laugh today?" Weiss sighs.

"It's Ruby. She told me today that she's not going to be here for the dance that Yang and I have been planning." Weiss explains.

"Why is she not going to be here?"

"She's going on a stupid mission with Professor Port and some other students. And the dance is right in the middle of the mission…" She trails off.

"And you're upset because she's going on the mission and you're not?" Neptune asks.

"No! Well, yes… but no! Sure I want to go on this trip, but I understand why they asked Ruby. She's the leader. She's great at combat, and a strong choice for any team. What I'm upset about is that Yang and I have been working on this dance for weeks now. And she's… she's not going to be there…" Her voice hitches, almost like she's crying or about to start crying. I turn to start walking away.

"She means a lot to me, and I just wanted her to see something that I was a part of. That I'm not just some obnoxious rich girl; that I'm able to get things done. That I can accomplish something without my dad paying for it. That I'm worth having on her team." She cries. Actually crying. I strengthen my resolve and walk away before things get worse, and I start crying myself.

 _She cares about me… But she's self-conscious about what I think about her? How could someone as amazing as Weiss feel that way? Let alone that way with me?_

I let my thoughts trail off as I walk back to the dorm. The fact that Weiss feels that way haunts me the entire way back. Outside the dorm room, I hear talking. Almost arguing.

"I'm not saying she shouldn't go, I'm just saying that I understand why Weiss got upset." Yang's voice could be heard outside the door.

"You're siding with Weiss instead of your sister?" Blake asks.

"No, I'm not siding with Weiss over my sister! I don't know why you would ever think that!" Yang retorts.

At this point, I open the door and walk into the room. The argument stops immediately. Yang is standing facing Blake in the center if the room. Tears begin to fill my eyes.

"I told you guys to not fight over this! Just… stop…" Tears start falling from my face. I turn around and walk out if the room again. To where? I have no idea. I'm just walking as tears stream down my face.

 _Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to go on the trip so soon..._


End file.
